Atlas of visual inspection of the cervix with acetic acid for screening, triage, and assessment for treatment

VIA is a subjective test and depends on the provider’s skill to adequately visualize the cervix, assess the findings after application of acetic acid, and interpret the findings correctly. To minimize errors during VIA, a provider needs to have a thorough understanding of the procedural problems, visualization techniques, and categorization criteria. The provider’s skill improves as more cases are examined and the findings are corroborated with those of a trainer. A provider benefits greatly from capturing the images of doubtful cases and getting a second opinion from an expert. With mobile phone technology, this can be done on a real-time basis using special magnification devices, often known as mini-colposcopes.

Errors during VIA may occur in the following situations:

• Inadequate exposure of the cervix
• Inadequate visualization of the SCJ
• Inadequate visualization of the margins of acetowhite areas
• Errors in assessment
• Improper lighting.